Well, it wasn't like the top 3 were just there as place holders. Kim had 3x3 in both programs, Asada had 3A, executed 7/8 triples, Kostner had 3x3 in both programs.
Don't think anyone thought she should be on the podium. The problem people had was she talked big talk about big combos, and didn't deliver. If the better skaters had to bring it to big competition, who is she to think she can do 2 triples in the SP, and 6 triples in the LP and be anywhere near the podium.

That was my point though... the top 3 were scored such that the podium was practically a lock for them. Asada and Kostner even scored PBs in what clearly weren't the best performances of their career. Also, Asada executed 6/7 triples (5 cleanly if we give count the flutz).

It does feel like a bit of a two-way street. She is very charming and active on social media, but when her content includes clips of her doing triple triple combos left and right, it is obviously provocative in both a potentially positive and negative way (depending on your perspective). It seems very clear the people advising her have shut the "machine" down a bit on their end and this has had a quieting effect which is probably very helpful. New coach, new training environment and a lot of work to do. Hype is distracting. She'll be back on the hot seat in 2 weeks come Skate Canada so Team Gold should take this as a welcome respite.

It does feel like a bit of a two-way street. She is very charming and active on social media, but when her content includes clips of her doing triple triple combos left and right, it is obviously provocative in both a potentially positive and negative way (depending on your perspective). It seems very clear the people advising her have shut the "machine" down a bit on their end and this has had a quieting effect which is probably very helpful. New coach, new training environment and a lot of work to do. Hype is distracting. She'll be back on the hot seat in 2 weeks come Skate Canada so Team Gold should take this as a welcome respite.

Frank i think is just what Gracie needs now. He knows the hype wasn't a good thing for Gracie and he's kept her pretty much out of sight. It was reaching a boiling point a few weeks ago after the SLC event and it coming out that she had no coach. Best thing for Gracie might be to not make the GPF so she can have more time to train with Frank.

When a skater has the techincal ability that Gracie does I don't feel as if she is being overhyped at all. Obviously we in the US are always on the look out for the next female skating star to burst unto the scene and to be able to deliver results on the international stage. Are the expectations being rushed? Perhaps, it has been awhile since a US lady has created this type of buzz though.........

When a skater has the techincal ability that Gracie does I don't feel as if she is being overhyped at all. Obviously we in the US are always on the look out for the next female skating star to burst unto the scene and to be able to deliver results on the international stage. Are the expectations being rushed? Perhaps, it has been awhile since a US lady has created this type of buzz though.........

True. Considering back in 2011 our top US Ladies like Alissa, Mirai, Rachael and Ashley weren't even trying 3-3's and here was this Junior skater knocking them out like nobodies business it got everyone excited despite Gracie obviously being a raw talent. If you can jump you have a chance to do something in this sport and after seeing our top Ladies not be able to jump seeing a young skater who had this kind of technical ability was hopeful.

Yeah, I don't agree that Mirai is necessarily done. She is doing just as well as any other American at the moment internationally (other than Ashley) and contrary to what many people seem to think (or maybe they just don't think about it) she could have one more Oly cycle in her after this one if she stays healthy and if it's what she wants. If she's likely to improve is another question, but there have been many people who I (and/or the vast majority of fans) have tried to stick a fork in in the past who have later had their best years ahead of them (Kostner, for one. Wangner, for another. Czisny, actually, for another, despite what's happening now).

Czisny is a different question. This is her do or die year, she has no more Oly cycles in her (not just because of age but also because of injury, obviously) and since it is obvious her dream is the Olys, she will be done after this year. Given everything, her chances are not promising, and she probably can't make it happen. However, I don't necessarily believe she's done either- I wouldn't bet my life on it. She had a decent showing at regionals given everything. Only time will tell how the season unfolds.

Yes, given her injuries and where she is in the season, I think it was decent. I did not say it was great or she should be jumping up and down with joy. I have not seen the program so I can't comment on the quality of the jumps and I haven't seen her train so I can't comment on whether she can do triples or not. She did not need triples to advance to Sectionals. She may have been playing it safe. She still has over one month to get her triples to a good place for Sectionals. She also has room to grab some extra points on her spins (one was level 3) and her steps which were level 2 in both programs, and has some room to up her PCS which frankly were rather low for her. I just am not seeing this as the disaster some people are trying to make it out to be. She did what she had to do to advance to Sectionals, got relatively strong scores to boot (and excellent scores considering that no, she did not complete a triple) and time will tell if she can get the programs where they need to be by sectionals.

My understanding though of skating cycle call her performance as decent or not it takes time to get back triples and time is lacking.

In late August-early September, according to her coach, Czisny had all the triples except the loop. But in early October, just a month later, she wasn't able to land any triples in a program. What happened? Did she have another setback, or is she able to land triple jumps only in isolation? People who saw her in practice said she was having just as much trouble with triple jumps in practice as she had in the program.

Sectionals is in 5.5 weeks, and Nationals is in less than 3 months. How much progress can she make in such a short time, if the realistic progress she's made in the 11 months since her last surgery is the ability to land double jumps in competition.